Centenary Exhibition opens at the Royal Historical Society of Victoria.
On 26 March 1913, Australia’s first cruiser, HMAS Melbourne, entered Port Phillip Bay to be met by the Governor-general, Lord Denman, and Prime Minister Andrew Fisher and other Federal Ministers and VIPs. Melbourne was, after all, the national capital.
Military History and Heritage, with the support of the Royal Historical Society of Victoria, has initiated a Centenary Exhibition to commemorate the ship and this historic moment, not just for the new Royal Australian Navy but also the City of Melbourne.
MHHV president, Marcus Fielding said “This first class exhibition is a must see for anyone interested in HMAS Melbourne and the men who served in her through peace and war. The curators have created an interesting, even intriguing, exhibition which features numerous unique and outstanding items connected to Melbourne, including the original ship’s crest as presented by the City to the ship in 1913.”
The Exhibition has been sponsored by the Melbourne Naval Centre, Navy Health, the Port of Melbourne Corporation, and Cooee History and Heritage, which curated and developed the Exhibition. In addition the Museum of HMAS Cerberus was an important contributor to the Exhibition, supplementing the important relics and memorabilia from the Australian War Memorial, the Australian National Maritime Museum, State libraries and museums, and from private collections.
The Exhibition is now open and will run to 30 April, Monday to Friday from 10am to 5 pm. In addition the Exhibition will be open on Anzac Day and Saturday 27th April for Military History and Heritage Week 2013. Entry is by gold coin donation and souvenir catalogues are available for $12.
Contact Military History and Heritage Victoria about this article.
